State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced he New York State Senate recently passed a bill that would increase the fines for passing a stopped school bus. The bill (S.1064) also requires criminal penalties for drivers who injure or kill a person by doing so.

The bill significantly increases the fines for passing a school bus. The maximum fine for a first offense would increase from $400 to $700. The maximum fine for a second offense would be $1,500.

This legislation also requires that if a driver injures someone while passing a school bus, the driver would be charged with aggravated vehicular assault. The charge would be criminally negligent homicide if the person is killed in the incident.

More than 40 percent of school bus-related fatalities include pedestrians. These increased penalties are intended to further deter drivers from passing stopped buses.